My Number One
by 67OtakuGirl24X3
Summary: It's amazing how suddenly the most important things in life can be gone at the most unexpected time... Kagami discovers this one seemingly typical morning.


Absolutely nothing felt wrong. Nothing seemed out of place. Kagami woke up early in the morning, kissed his partner on the cheek without waking him, shuffled out of bed in his robe and with a head of messy hair, and stumbled downstairs to pour himself a cup of coffee. The typical routine of a typical morning. Perhaps one _tiny _detail was different, but it was nothing extremely out of the ordinary; an extra dash of sprinkles on a sundae, something one could easily go without. Everything was perfectly normal.

But then Kagami looked out the window.

Something was laying in a heap out on the curb, next to the trashcan. He squinted in an attempt to make out what the form was, but it was still too far away. "Tch… Must've not made it into the can," he muttered. The water for his coffee was still boiling, so he figured he'd throw the thing away while he waited. Maybe Kuroko had irresponsibly tossed something on the ground, or someone dropped it on their way by, or a raccoon got into the can and pulled something out… Kagami scratched his head with a sigh as she scuffled down the sidewalk in his slippers. It was too early in the morning to think logically enough to assign blame….

_The dog didn't wake me up this morning._

Kagami stopped in his tracks halfway down the driveway. It was a random thought, drifting to his attention in his lethargic state. He paused to consider it, and realized it was true. On most days, he would awake to two big blue eyes staring at him, dog breath panting in his face. This morning, however, he woke on his own. Oh, well. This happened on _most _mornings, not all. It was nothing to mull over. With a slight shake to his head, he continued on walking before the water in the kitchen boiled over.

When he reached the trashcan, his entire body went numb. That was not a piece of trace lying alongside the can: it was an all-too-familiar lump of black and white fur. A cold feeling trickled down his spine and a tightness tugged at his heart.

"…what're you doing sleeping out here, dumb dog?" His voice did not feel like his own; he felt as if someone else was speaking for him while he watched, frozen with dread, from afar. He called Number 2 "dumb dog" so often that the dog learned to respond to it, and would always perk up at the sound of it. He did not perk up. He remained still; as still as death.

"…dog? Number 2?" Kagami choked out, his voice quivering. His heartbeat was increasing rapidly, pounding in his ears. _No, no, no… God no… Please no… _He nudged the dog with his foot, silently pleading for him to wake with a start, shake his little head, and let out a yawn just as he always did when awakening from naps. However, in his state of nervousness he used a bit more force than was intended, and the pile of fur rolled slightly. A thin streak of blood trickled from his ear; he did not wake up.

"…shit… Oh, _shit…" _he breathed, his eyes wide and body beginning to shake. Despite the ungodly hour of day, he was suddenly wide awake. _The dog is dead. The dog is dead. Kuroko's dog is dead. Number 2 is dead. _The disturbing, insensible thought played over and over in his mind, the world around him beginning to spin. This wasn't happening… How could this be happening…? Just yesterday, the dog was laying under the dining room table, licking Kuroko's feet and begging for scraps. How did he even get outside? Who was the bastard that hit him and left him on the curb? Kagami smacked his cheeks with both hands. He would have all the time in the world to wonder about these things later; right now, he needed to do something. His eyes flickered up to the window of the bedroom in which Kuroko was currently asleep. As per their usual routine, Kuroko would most likely be waking up in anywhere from an hour to two hours. He couldn't just leave the dog there for his partner to find when he woke up… He needed to bury him.

…but he couldn't do it alone. The very thought of taking this once living, breathing creature, which meant so very much to the one he loved the most, and putting it in a hole in the ground with his own two hands made him sick. He needed help from someone. Should he break the news to Kuroko upon his waking up and have him help with the burial? After all, Number 2 was his dog… …no, that would be too painful. He needed outside assistance.

After graduation, the members of Seirin parted separate ways and went on with their lives. However, they did keep in touch, and some of them even lived in the same area as each other. Kagami, rushing to think on the spot, decided to call upon the person that lived nearest: their former coach, Riko. His cell phone was in his robe pocket; he had absentmindedly slipped it in there when he woke up. Fingers shaking, he dialed Riko's number and anxiously waited for her to pick up. His eyes looked everywhere except for at Number 2's furry little body.

"Taiga Kagami, what could you _possibly _want from me so early in the-"

Kagami was too relieved to hear Riko answer to be afraid of her wrath. "Number 2 is dead."

"…wait, what?"

Kagami gulped and drew in a deep breath, forcing the disturbing words out of his mouth again. "Number 2… is dead."

There was silence for a moment. "…what? _What? _Oh, my god, what- What happened?! Does Kuroko know?!" Riko gasped on the other line.

"I, don't know. Found 'im on the curb when I woke up… Kuroko doesn't know yet and I have no idea how I'm going to tell him. Can you help me bury him before he wakes up?"

"…I… Yeah, I guess… Oh, my god… I'll be there in 20 minutes, okay?"

Kagami gave a solemn nod and hung up without saying anything. What on earth was he going to do for 20 minutes… His eyes drifted down to the dog's body, laying there in an unmoving heap. He _hated _dogs, they terrified him. So why was he feeling so remorseful? Maybe he did have a soft spot for the little guy, after all… Or maybe it was solely because he knew how much Number 2 meant to Kuroko, and couldn't help but wonder if it was his fault that this had happened. Did he forget to let him back in last night? Did he leave a door open or unlocked? Had he chased him out of the bedroom again? He thought his hardest, but everything was a blur. He hadn't the slightest memory as to how this could have happened, and wondered if that was for the best. The situation would be handled much easier if nobody was to blame.

Still, he knew he couldn't just stand there staring at the corpse while he waited for Riko to arrive. He needed to find a spot to bury him, and bring him there… It took him but a moment to decide where the burial place would be; there was a specific little patch in their backyard that seemed to get more sunlight than the rest, where Number 2 loved to roll around and bask in the sun when the weather was nice. The more difficult task was how he was going to get him there. Should he get a garbage bag-? Kagami immediately shot that idea down. Kuroko would never forgive him if he knew he had put the body of what he considered his_ child _in a garbage bag, as if he was something that could be simply discarded… He would have to bury him as he was, which meant he would have to carry him out there with his own two hands. …unless he used a shovel… No, that would devastate Kuroko as well.

Drawing in a deep breath, he kneeled down and lifted the dog off the ground. His body was much too limp, and much too heavy.

Riko arrived in the promised amount of time. From the red streaks on her cheeks, Kagami could tell she had cried on the way over. She _was _always fond of the little dog… "Where is he?" she murmured, greeting a very somber Kagami in the backyard.

"Right next to where I want to put him," Kagami answered quietly. "Here, I uh, got the shovels out." Riko only nodded, and followed after him.

They were completely silent as they dug, save for an occasional sniffle from Riko. Scenarios played through Kagami's head, some a little more bizarre than others: for instance, Kuroko deciding that if Number 2 had to die, then Kagami had no right to live either, and pushing his boyfriend out into the street. Others were perfectly logical, though, such as Kuroko falling into a state of depression so severe that Kagami would have no idea how to bring him out of it. Kuroko was going to hate him for this; he knew it.

"There… I think that's deep enough," Kagami eventually sighed, leaning on his shovel and wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. By this point, the sun had risen completely; neither of them knew how long they had been digging for. Riko did not agree or disagree with Kagami's comment; only stood there, shovel in her hands, eyes staring straight ahead. Raising an eyebrow, Kagami followed her gaze… and felt an arrow pierce through his heart.

They were not alone in the backyard. Kuroko, looking very small in his striped pajamas and with his wide eyes, was standing on the porch, watching them. Then all of a sudden he was beside them as if he had teleported. Kagami hadn't let his guard down enough to allow Kuroko to sneak up on him like that in a long, long time. He gazed down at his boyfriend with a frantic deer-caught-in-headlights expression.

" Kuroko, how long have you-?"

"I saw you out the window when I woke up. I just got here." For Kuroko, there was nothing strange about speaking in such a soft, monotone voice. However, this time, there was something dangerous about his apathy. Something alarming. "Is he alive?" This question was somehow easier to ask in comparison to asking if he was dead; having his unlikely hopes shot down seemed less painful than having his fears confirmed.

Kagami gulped, fingers shaking on the shovel handle. His throat was suddenly very dry. "…no," he whispered in a voice much unlike his own.

Kuroko's eyes continued to stare in the direction of Number 2's body, unblinking. "Where did you find him?"

"By the curb… Tetsuya, I'm so sorry, I don't know how he got out-"

"I want to say good-bye. Before you put him in," Kuroko cut him off. Kagami suddenly felt ten years older, his body weighted down.

"…y-yeah. Okay. Go ahead." He heard a short sob leave Riko's mouth. He did not look at her; he didn't want to see her cry.

"I still remember when I first found you," Kuroko began, kneeling gently beside the motionless lump that used to be his animated little Number 2. The dog seemed much too small in this moment. "Everyone said you looked like me. That's where you got your name, Tetsuya Number 2. You always looked very cute in your Seirin uniform. You were a good mascot, we all loved you a lot… You knew when I was sad and you were happy when I was happy. You-" Kuroko abruptly stopped. Whatever words he had planned appeared to choke him, and he clamped a hand over his mouth. Kagami's heart shattered as he watched the transformation on his face. His lack of expression had been a result of confusion and denial, and now it seemed the shock was slowly disappearing and realization was flooding into place. His expression crumbled piece by piece until he was broken, and his eyes began to shine.

"He's gone," he stated in a shaking voice. He stared up at Kagami, looking scared, like a lost little boy. "Number 2 isn't coming back."

Kagami wanted to say something; but what? He's in a better place now? All dogs go to Heaven? At least he didn't suffer? He knew none of those words would do any good. In fact, he knew _nothing _would do any good. The situation was completely helpless and there was absolutely nothing he could do to ease his boyfriend's pain. These wounds of his would only be able to heal with time, and right now, Kuroko was bleeding out.

It was then that Kuroko totally fell apart. He lurched forward slightly and made a sound that resembled a cough into his hand, but Kagami and Riko both knew that wasn't what the sound was. His small shoulders shook, and tears spilled from his eyes which were identical to those of the lifeless canine before him. The sight was heart wrenching: although he had grown much more expressive over the years, Kagami couldn't recall ever seeing the boy cry. Biting his lip, Kagami knelt beside the boy and reached to wrap an arm around Kuroko's quivering shoulders, but then he spoke up.

"Your turn," Kuroko managed through his tears. "You're, h-his other daddy… You tell him good-bye," he sobbed.

"I- …okay." Kagami was never good with words; he was always more impulsive and action-oriented. Still, he deemed it heartless to ignore Kuroko's request. He cleared his throat and forced himself to look at the dog, searching for the right words. "…uh. I know, we never got along very well… But it wasn't anything personal, I'm just not a dog person, you know? I'm… sorry I didn't let you on furniture, and got mad when Kuroko let you sleep with us, and called you a dumb dog, and scowled when I fed you, and did my best to avoid you… I really, really am sorry. I never… _hated _you. As far as dogs go, I gotta say you were number one, Number 2. You'll uh, like it in doggie heaven. You can eat all the table scraps you want… And play with all the basketballs… And _everyone _will be a dog person." He paused, contemplating the best way to conclude his speech. "I'll miss you, little buddy. I mean you."

Kuroko cried even harder, his entire body trembling. "I told you he actually loved you," he whispered, his voice quaking and cracking. "You knew that, didn't you? You knew Taiga really loved you." Now Kagami felt tears burning in the back of his own eyes. Fighting them back for Kagami and Riko's sake (they couldn't _all _be crying at once), he took the opportunity to pull Kuroko close. "Why… Why now… So soon, without any warning…" the blue-haired boy sobbed into Kagami's shoulder. Riko, her own cries silent, shuffled up behind him and rested a hand on his back.

"I don't know, Tetsu… I don't know. Life's just shitty like that, sometimes," Kagami murmured hopelessly. Kuroko shook his head, the tears continuing to waterfall down his cheeks. He reached a shaking hand out toward Number 2, and touched him so lightly that his fingers just barely made contact with his fur. He whispered "you're a good boy" so quietly that it was incomprehensible, over and over as he gingerly stroked the dog. Kagami squeezed him even tighter.

After a few minutes of wordless sobbing, Kuroko glanced over his shoulder at Riko. "Thank you for coming out to do this. Number 2 really liked you, he'd be grateful." Riko let out a pathetic sort of squeak, and gave a slight nod to her head. "…can I be alone for a while? I'll bury him myself when I'm ready." Kagami and Riko exchanged a concerned glance, and then nodded. Kagami pressed a long kiss to the top of Kuroko's head before heading back to the kitchen with Riko in tow.

He made a new pot of coffee for them both and let Riko dry her eyes and nose with a box of tissues. As the coffee brewed and Riko blew, Kagami gazed worriedly out the window. Kuroko was hugging his knees to his chest, resembling a child even more now. Even from that distance Kagami could tell he was shaking and that his mouth was moving. However, he couldn't make out the words. "…I don't know what to do. He really, really loved that dog. Like it was his kid…"

"He was a really nice dog," Riko murmured, sniffing and tossing her most recent tissue in the trash. "The two of them were inseparable…" A small, sad smile appeared on her lips. "We almost got kicked out of so many places, since he brought him with him everywhere…"

But Kagami wasn't really listening; he was watching Kuroko too intently, as he stood and eased the dog's little form into the hole and reached for the shovel, gradually covering him with dirt with trembling hands. "…is he going to be okay?"

Riko sighed, closing her eyes. "It's never easy, getting over a death like this. But… I think he'll be alright, with time. You could never replace Number 2, but the two of you could always get another dog in a year or too… Or maybe a cat, or a lizard, or some other pet that would make _you _happy." She snapped her fingers, tilting her head slightly. "Who knows, maybe someday soon the two of you will decide to adopt a child! That would fill the void and then some." Kagami blushed intensely at the mere suggestion of parenthood, but still remained silent. Riko smiled gently and joined him by the window, resting a hand on his arm. "It'll be okay, Kagami-kun. Number 2 will always be in his heart, and he's got you."

Kagami continued to gaze at Kuroko's back. He was overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions, but mostly guilt at having been so terrible to the silly little dog up until his death… and an even stronger love for Kuroko and urge to protect him. "….yeah," he muttered. "He sure does." He could imagine the trauma Kuroko was going to go through for a long time. He knew he would imagine hearing Number 2's bark; he knew he would kick a basketball around outside and wait for Number 2 to bring it back, despite knowing that he never would; he knew he would still absently sneak bits of food under the table even though there would be nothing waiting for them; he knew he would expect the little dog to greet him at the door, and accompany him on errands, and sleep at the foot of his bed. He knew it would be a rough road toward recovery… And he knew he would have to be there for him all the way.


End file.
